Le Coeur des Anges Rose 2013

A good friend of mine bequeathed me a bottle of this when I last hosted wine, oops, I mean book club. I am not usually much of a rose drinker but valiantly soldiered on and gave this one a go (never one to shy away from a challenge – ahem!). To my surprise it was delicious; crisp, dry, with a lovely flinty minerality you would usually expect from a Sancerre or Pouilly Fume, overlaid with delicate spicy berried fruit tones. It is currently out of stock at Laithwaites, but if it comes back in give it a go – it makes a smashing aperitif anytime of the year or would perfectly accompany fish and light meats. Enjoy!

A whine about wine…

It was like an overnight invasion. One day, everything was as it should be, we were happily drinking white wine or on special occasions, a delectable bottle of Champers. The next day, chaos, with everyone brandishing bottles of Prosecco on every bloody occasion.

At the pub, “Ooh, shall we all chip in and get a bottle of Prosecco?” Hosting a dinner party, “Here you go darling, we bought you a lovely bottle of Prosecco!” Drinks reception, “How about a glass of Prosecco for everyone on arrival?”

NO!

You all fill your boots, but I’ll be having a lovely glass of Pouilly Fume, thanks.

As someone recently pointed out it was like the chardonnay revolution of the 1990’s, followed by the Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc revolution of the naughties. But at those points in time, we had just stepped aboard the wine train for the first time and were carried through the vast array of choice by market saturation and cunning marketing. But now, we are wine savvy, we have travelled the wine train down its long and winding track.

I’m sure it has its place… just not at my table. Bring back Champagne I say, if we are going to belch, have heartburn and bad breath at least let’s over-pay for the privilege.